(405) 262-3734 www.wesleyumcelreno.org The Wesley Journal Making Disciples of Jesus Christ and Transforming the World November 20, 2014 Get ready now for the first ever YOUTH Remember that the last Sunday of each month is Canned Meal Day. Bring anything that can be a meal on it’s own (without other ingredients) to the altar during communion. This is a huge blessing to so many who are in need here in El Reno. So, while you do your shopping over the next couple of days, please pick up a couple of cans of stew or pasta, and put it in your car for Sunday, November 30th. and The UMW is challenging all Sunday School classes and organizations of Wesley to help decorate the FLC area. Dessert wars November 23rd, Noon You Will Receive Your Instructions At Your Table!! We are taking pre-orders for Poinsettias. The deadline will be November 30th and the cost is $7. Pre-order forms are available in the Narthex. Please fill out the card completely, as this is the information used to print the list for the bulletins for December 14th, 21st and 24th. Guest speaker this month is Michael Bartley, Director of the OSU Wesley Foundation. Meeting will be November 20th at 6:30 p.m. The next Wesley Journal will be published on December 4th. Submission deadline will be Monday, December 1st. 2 Betsy Rosenkranz Buddy Kamm Kylan Shaw Jeannine Schiffman Elaine Gibson Joyce Springer Rayford Johnson Marvin Marquardt Bill Jaxon Gloria Arenson Nellie Brinkley Charley Fielder Hanah Clemons Harold Stephens Connie Bone Sandy Beard Owen Jenkins Russell Stiles Monte Daughety Kyler Aebischer Josh Torres Jeff Robbins Kendal Grantham Jimmy Wilkins James Pitts William Pitts Bess Jenkins Donna Anderson Hazel Crowley Gerald Crowley Tom Pitts Co Pitts Dutch Musser Pat Wilkins Neely Jo Herndon Sally Sims Donna Kay Frasier Kara Watts Blake Howard Renee Thomas Chris Nichols Jabonn Flurry Tony Widener Justin Rhoads Tim Torres Billy Rhoades Stephen Royse Kristen Aebischer We are looking for a custodian/ maintenance person to fill Dan’s position. This person will be responsible for cleaning, maintaining and making minor repairs to the building. Also includes opening and closing on Sundays and for special events, as well as maintaining the grounds year round. For a job description and application, please see Becca in the church office. Do these look good? Do you wish you thought to buy extras at the Bazaar to have on hand for those Christmas guests? Or even just for yourself? Well, you’re in luck! The “Cinnamon Roll Ladies” are going to take pre-orders for a Christmas Baking on December 8th. The prices are the same — 6/$5; 12/$10. To place your order you may call one of the following: Linda Lorenzen at 262-7782 Jamie Von Tungeln at 262-4488 Church office at 262-3734 Orders may be paid for and picked up on December 8th after 3 p.m. You MUST order ahead of time to be able to purchase these yummy holiday goodies!! If there are more orders than they can fill in one day, they will have a second bake day. But make your order now! Make plans now to attend the El Reno Community Theater’s Christmas production the first two weekends in December. You could call this a Wesley production, as it is directed by Scott McBee, and the cast includes Steven McBee, David McBee, Logan Parrott, Dorrie Parrott, Maddie Garrett and Raelynn Garrett! The Herdmans are the worst kids in the history of the world. They lie, steal, smoke cigars, swear, and hit little kids. So no one is prepared when this outlaw family invades church one Sunday and decides to take over the annual Christmas pageant. November 26 No Meal December 3 Campfire Stew 3 Pastoral Postulations -Thoughts from Pastor Barry Unfavorable Times A few years ago, there was an incident when Walter Kasper – a German Cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church – declined to accompany the pope on a journey to the United Kingdom. Kasper said that he did not feel British Airways treated people of faith fairly and that atheism was beginning to take over in Britain. Very few people even noticed, but it got me to thinking a bit about the times we are in. Lately I find myself reflecting more and more about the times in which we live. Culturally, intellectually, and spiritually people seem to regularly change their behaviors and attitudes. As communication dominates our lives, people don’t seem to be getting better informed. Politics have become a farce (I don’t know anyone, in fact, who thinks our system is working well). Religion has been relativized to a position of being just one option among many. Jesus has become for so many people nothing more than just a nice guy who might give us stuff if we’re “good”. God is a far-out concept with, far removed the practical experiences of many peoples’ daily lives. I think Kasper is right: it’s quite unpopular to be a committed Christian anymore. I have come to believe that most Americans today are functional agnostics. It’s not that they don’t believe in God, it is only that they don’t recognize God’s presence in their day-to-day or even believe that God would ever be present to them in such a way. God gets treated more like Santa Claus much of the time anyway (he knows when you are sleeping; he knows when you’re awake; he knows when you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake). Often I find that when asked, Christians tend to think that all God really wants from them is to just be happy and nice. There is no discussion about sin; no recognition of the human need for redemption; no sense of calling to grow into the people God created us to be. Worse still, we are raising new generations of young people to believe that being Christian is all about being nice. This is the world we live in; it is where we are today. St. Paul, in his second letter to Timothy, wrote some final words of encouragement. Paul was soon to be martyred, and he wanted Timothy to stay firm in the faith. Here is part of what he said: In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching. For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully. (2 Timothy 4:1-5) Sometimes, the situation is not particularly favorable for being a committed Christian. The reality is that it is easy to call oneself a Christian, but it is far harder – given the culture in which we live – to commit oneself to the radical call of Jesus to him in joyful service to a world that is broken and in need. Living a life of courage as a transformed disciple of the one who came into the world to set it free from the bondage of sin, sorrow, shame, and regret is as hard a commitment now as it was in the early days when Timothy was starting out as a young pastor in the fledgling church. Paul urges us onward, reminding us that even if the times do not seem favorable, the message about Jesus Christ is the same. Even if it looks as if the world around us is falling apart, Jesus Christ is still the working to heal and make new. Our obligation is to be diligent in the work entrusted to us. The greatest thing a person could ever do is to make a lasting commitment to the God who created us. There is no greater calling, no greater adventure, in the entire universe. It’s easy in this day to say in passing, “yeah, I’m a Christian.” But ask yourself, “what do I think makes a Christian?” Is it about being nice and blithely going about your way ? If so, then you might need to meet Jesus again for the first time. It is a difficult world, full of many temptations and distractions. “As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.” The world may call this foolish, but God will call it faithful. Grace and peace, Pastor Barry 4 Afternoon Circle: December 4th, potluck luncheon at 12:30 p.m. at the home of Sue Rector Circle 4: December 9th, meet at the church at 6:00 p.m. to go to Primo’s in Yukon. Circle 5: December 7th at 6:00 p.m. at the home of Amy Neathery November 30th Canned Meal Day, bring canned meals to the altar during Communion. Last day to pre-order Poinsettias. December 6th UMM Pancake Breakfast, 7 a.m. to Noon December 14th Choir Cantata We are looking for one volunteer to run the components in the sound booth in the event that Gina is unable to be at service. We are also in need of a group of people who would be available to work in the nursery on a rotating basis for extra events and the occasional Wednesday evening or Sunday morning. This is a paid position. Nursery workers must be 18 years of age and will be required to undergo a background check to comply with the Conference Safe Sanctuaries policy. December 17th Children’s Christmas Program December 21st Youth Breakfast, 9—10 a.m. December 24th Christmas Eve Candlelight Service, 9 p.m. PRIME TIMERS ! Fellowship ~ Spiritual Uplift ~ Food Board games ~ Card games ~ Dominoes ~ Checkers ~ Chicken Foot ~ Jigsaw Puzzles ~ Bingo Gatherings will be the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month from 11:30—2:00 The Samaritan Fund is a special Fund in our Church that is designated for helping people in need in our church and our community. Sometimes, people are hit with unforeseen crises and have trouble paying bills or dealing effectively with the crisis at hand. At that point the church springs into action to offer the grace of compassion in assistance to those in need. Every time we receive Holy Communion, you may leave extra gifts on the altar rail. These gifts go directly into the Samaritan Fund. You may also make a special gift at ANY TIME to this fund. Just simply write a check to the church and designate it for the Samaritan Fund. Right now our Samaritan Fund needs a bit of replenishing. We make a major impact in people’s lives through this ministry. Would you consider a special gift to make a difference in the lives of others? Resident Bishop………………………....…...Robert E. Hayes, Jr District Superintendent………………………..Rockford Johnson Missionary…………………………...…..…..…....Meri Whitaker Wesley UMC Staff Pastor…………………..………...…..….....……....Barry Bennett Administrative Assistant and Bookkeeper…....….. .Becca McBee Financial Secretary……………..…...……....….....Beverly Huber Maintenance Staff……………....................................................... Director of Music Ministries……….….....…...............Sam Ritter Organist …………………..……..….……..........Dale Heinrichs Director of Youth Ministries …..................…………………….. Director of Children’s Ministries….…….……..….Emily Walker Nursery……………………………….….John & Gina Wilkerson Mother’s Day Out ……...………Dana Hunka and Shianna Glenn DECEMBER 12 DECEMBER 26 DECEMBER 1 Jeff Havern Bailey Denny Doug Von Tungeln Bill Taylor Lily Walker DECEMBER 2 DECEMBER 14 DECEMBER 27 James Carnott Linda Rinehart Hazel Crowly DECEMBER 15 DECEMBER 27 Shannon Eichholz Chad Neathery Beth Griesel Fred Hobson DEC EMBER 6 Judy Preston Tommy Neathery DECEMBER 17 Tera Roblyer Mike Lorenzen DECEMBER 7 Judy Kamm DECEMBER 30 DECEMBER 18 Cade Roblyer Helen Baker DECEMBER 8 Carolyn Barker DECEMBER 31 DECEMBER 19 Jill York DECEMBER 9 James Andrade DECEMBER 20 DiAnna Taylor DECEMBER 10 Nicki Cerne DECEMBER 25 Lela Sonderup Barry Bennett Phyllis Chapman DECEMBER 11 Cody Eichholz Ron Ward Rayford Johnson Buddy Kamm Ava Wohler Sun Mon 1 Tue 2 Wed Thu 3 5:00—6:00 Dinner 6:00—7:00 Children Youth Handbells Bible Study Moms Group 4 UMW Circles Fri Sat 5 6 6:00 p.m. ~ Downtown 7 5:30 p.m. Youth 8 9 11:30—2:00 Prime Timers 10 5:00—6:00 Dinner 6:00—7:00 Children Youth Handbells Bible Study Moms Group 11 11:30 a.m. UMW General Meeting 12 13 14 15 16 17 5:00—6:00 Dinner 6:00—7:00 Children’s Christmas Program 18 19 20 22 23 11:30—2:00 Prime Timers 3:00 p.m. St. Katharine’s Service 24 25 26 27 5:00 p.m. Evangelism 21 9:00 a.m. Youth Breakfast 5:30 p.m. Youth Christmas Party 9 p.m. Offices Closed 28 29 30 31